"You need to tell me how you knew" Alaric declared, tightening his fists on the steering wheel.
"I don't need to tell you anything" Aurora shrugged, sucking on a strawberry Chupa Chup lollipop she found in his glove compartment. Her legs were propped up on the dashboard, Alaric hadn't asked her to take them down yet cause he was in a slight state of panic.
"Yes you do. Is it obvious, is that how you knew?" He pressed further. His hands were turning white at this stage and he was resting the urge to step on the pedal and go flying. Aurora glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She has never seen Alaric like this. He's always so cool and chill, but now he's almost panicking. She didn't see what the big deal was.
"Alaric, it wasn't you that gave it away really. When I turned around to look back at Bruise, he was soooo staring at your ass. I just presumed since you swing both ways that you were into him, since you hadn't socked him yet" Aurora shrugged. Alaric went silent. And red in the face.
"How'd you know I swing both ways?"
"Oh, that parts obvious" Aurora chuckled. Alaric rolled his eyes and huffed. He relaxed for a moment. Thinking about her words. Those words. Suddenly as they were driving, Alaric could see two head lights coming at them. He didn't think much about it at first, but then he realised that they were coming straight towards them, on the wrong side of the road. He sat up straight and squinted his eyes, noticing the speed they were coming at.
"Aurora, take your legs down" He said sternly, unsure of how this was gonna end.
"Alaric, it's-" Aurora started with a groan but Alaric was quick to cut her off.
"Aurora, take your fucking legs down now and hold on tight" Aurora listened and did as he said quickly. Her heart started to beat faster at the tone he used with her. She held on to the door handle and took the lollipop out of her mouth. She looked at Alaric to see him staring intensely ahead of them. She too then turned towards the front to see two headlights getting brighter and brighter as they approached them. Her heart stopped.
"Alaric" She whispered shakily. Alaric changed gear and stepped on the gas, not the reaction Aurora was hoping for causing them to be launched forward. Alraics arm reached across infront of Aurora as she clenched her eyes shut, waiting for an intense impact. Instead, at the very last minute, Alaric swerved the car to the right. Auroras body fell towards the door but Alaric held on to her. The sound of sharp scraping of the two metals of the cars could be heard before it stopped as they dodged the other car. Aurora opened her eyes the second it did and let out a deep breath. Alaric hadn't slowed down, however. Aurora looked behind them to see the car turning around and coming towards them from the back. She turned back around, really starting to panic now. Her chest tightened up and her eyes began to sting.
"Alaric, whats happening?" She asked, her voice quivering. Alaric toon a deep breath, trying to remain calm for her sake. He glanced in the rear view mirror to see the car still following them.
"I don't know, but whoever is in that car, wants us dead. But its not gonna happen, alright?" He said calmly. His tone was firm, confident even. Aurora processed his words but remained silent. He briefly glanced at her and noticed her fear on her face.
"Do ya hear me Aurora? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?" He said again, this time more sternly. Aurora snapped out of her trance and nodded dead head vigorously.
"I hear you" She said, trying to convince herself. Alaric sighed and glanced in the mirror to see them gaining on them. He gritted his teeth and began to press harder on the pedal, increasing speed rapidly. He needed to loose them. Fast. A million thoughts were passing through his head right then but all he tried focusing on was getting Aurora out of this alive. He was eyeing the roads around him. They were still quite unfamiliar to him as he hasn't drove on them many times. He was coming to a cross section up ahead. A familiar one, and he knew if he kept going straight he'd be on roads that he knew a little better. As he approached it he sped up. He hit the centre of the cross section, heading straight, only to see blazing headlights coming at him from the left. So instead, he spun the wheel with immense strength and turned to the right instead. He cursed and hit the wheel, still speeding down the empty street, only now with two cars tailing behind him. Aurora kept glancing behind them but kept quiet, not wanting to distract Alalric.
Now they were heading back into the town, instead of the quiet roads they were just on. As they entered the town, the street lights lit up the cars so Aurora could identify them as two black Mercedes. She quickly fumbled with her hoodie pocket to find her phone. She pulled it out and turned around properly to try and get a photo of them for Isaac or Atlas to identify later. Alaric watched her do so, proud of her quick thinking. However, that quickly turned into fear as a bullet shot straight at the black windshield, causing it to crack. He grabbed Aurora by the hood and pushed her back into her seat.
"Stay down" He said, as the bullets proceeded to come, smashing the window completely. Aurora obeyed without a word, shrinking back into the seat. Alaric looked glanced into the side mirror to see only one car. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Weren't there two a few moments ago?" He wondered allowed. Before Aurora could reply, the car came flying out of one of the allyways from the side right in front of them. Alaric stepped on the breaks, his arms shooting out to prevent Aurora from going through the window from the impact. Quickly, he reversed and turned to head into one of the narrow streets beside them between two huge buildings, where a bus had parked beside the entrance. He sped down the street but was greeted by another black Merc ramming into the front of them. Bullets began to shoot in through the front windscreen, causing Aurora to scream. Alaric tried get a grip on the car but the merc was bulldozing them backwards. He looked behind them to see the bus moving forwards over the entrance to the street.
"Shit!" Alaric spat. He ducked down and pulled open the glove compartment, taking out a neat Glock 17, checking the bullets before firing through the already smashed windscreen blindly. He glanced in the wing mirror to see the bus almost passed. Instead, he grabbed the steering wheel, switching gear and speeding it in reverse out back onto the main street. The merc followed them forwards but once Alaric was out, he spun the car around to head straight, causing the merc to run straight into its friend shooting at them while waiting for them to emerge. Both cars went tumbling, the sound of the crash echoing throughout the empty streets. Alaric once again stepped on the gas, speeding away from the scene. They drove for a few minutes in silence, until they were back on the quiet roads again. Alaric looked behind them, and sighed in relief when there was nothing there.
He glanced at Aurora, to see her covered in glass, like himself. Her face was cut in various places and there was blood stains on her hoodie and sweats. He could see her chest heaving up and down as she continued to look straight ahead where the glass that she was now covered in used to be. Alaric wanted to stop. He wanted to get out and make sure she was okay and get rid of all the glass but he couldn't. He was too on edge and it was too risky at this stage. He didn't know if there was anymore after them tonight so it was safer just to get her home first. He never truly slowed down until he pulled into the gates. He didn't even bother making it to the garage, once the huge iron gates closed behind them and the various guards surrounded them, he got out of the car, glass dropping from his lap onto the floor, and went around to Auroras side.
He opened her door, and she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes still held slight fear but her breathing had slowed down now atleast. He brushed the glas off her lap too and from her hair. He gently helped her out.
"Mr. King-" One guard began but Alaric cut him off.
"Clean the broken glass up but don't go near any of it that's left in the car. Move the car around the back and dont touch anything inside. Isaacs gonna want to investigate the bullets and damage and shit" He ordered, throwing the keys at one of them. All of them were terrified truth be told. They hadn't even known they had left, and were scared now what was gonna happen to them once the Mr. King finds out. They couldn't figure out how none of them knew they had even left. All of them were thinking the same thing, that someone did know, but was told to keep quiet.
Alaric gently ushered Aurora inside, afraid to touch her too much as he didn't know where the glass had pierced her skin.
"If Levi asks, let me handle it and just go along with what I say" He said quietly, just as he opened the front door. They entered the kitchen and Alaric flicked in the light. He brought her over beside the sink and help her hop up onto the counter.
"Take off your hoodie" He said, before leaving to get a first aid kit. Aurora did as she was told. She carefully lifted the hoodie over head head leaving her in a normal black t-shirt, hearing quiet sounds of small shards of glass hitting the mable floor. She was honestly still trying to process what had happened. Alaric came back in a minute later with his own hoodie now discarded. He set the box down beside her and opened it up, rooting to try and find the alcohol wipes.
"What the fuck happened?" Aurora looked over Alarics shoulder to see Levi standing in the door way with a look of horror on his tired face. Aurora didn't say anything, gulping with fear, instead she looked at Alaric to see him clenching his eyes shut before opening them again. He looked up at Aurora. This was the last person the two wanted to see right now. Levi walked further into the room towards the two. He couldn't take his eyes of Auroras face, seeing it covered in cuts and blood. He felt sick. He was fuming, he needed answers.
"We were chased and shot at" Alaric mumbled, finally finding the alcohol wipes. He tore open the packet and carefully started to clean the cuts on Auroras face, ignoring her as she winced.
"Where were ye? Why were ye out at this hour in the first place?" Levi asked, flabbergasted. He had no idea how to react, but he could feel his anger bubbling. A part of him thought he was still dreaming. Alaric glanced up at Aurora who remained silent.
"I woke up earlier to get a drink and found Aurora down here too. She had a, uh, visit from Japan but had nothing so she asked me to take her to the shop" He lied smoothly. Aurora nodded her head in agreement.
"Did you not take any fucking guards with you? I got them for a fucking reason, Alaric" Levi hissed.
"Aurora was too embarrassed" Alaric answered gruffly. Aurora didn't say anything. It was a pretty reasonable lie, they'd surely belive it. Levi looked at Aurora, unimpressed. She smiled innocently at him.
"Embarrassed, are you fucking having a laugh?" Levi snapped. Auroras shoulders sank and she looked down. Alaric bit his tounge for a moment, stopping his movements as he seen Auroras reaction.
"Levi, if you're going to take it out on her, fuck off. She doesn't need it. What she needs is to get cleaned up and go to fucking bed. I'm the adult and the one responsible in this situation. You can say whatever the fuck you want to me, once I make sure she's okay" Aļaric said sternly. Aurora was slightly taken back by his words, as was Levi. Alaric continued what he was doing as Levi stayed quiet for a moment.
"I'll get you some panadol" He eventually said, leaving to get her something for the pain. He was gone about a minute before Aurora said anything.
"I'm really sorry" She whispered, her voice cracking as tears pooled in her eyes. Alarics eyes shot up to hers. He shook his head firmly.
"Its not your fault"
"But I was the one that forced you to bring me out" She whispered again as tears began to glide down her crimson cheeks. The guilt was eating her up. She felt so selfish and ignorant. She foolishly didn't believe something like this could happen as she has been loving in her own little world of bliss with Sunhsine. She felt there was no room for this.
"This was going to happen eventually, whether tonight, or on your way home from school one day. It just so happened to have been tonight, but none of that shit matters. None of its your fault cause you shouldn't have to worry about this shit in the first place. This is all our fault, not yours, but you're always the victim" Alaric was sick of all this shit. He was starting to get angry at this stage as he finished cleaning up her cuts. Before Aurora could reply, Levi returned with a packet of panadol. He got a glass from the press and filled it with water from the tap before giving it to Aurora along with the two panadol. She thanked him. Alaric put away some of the shit into the bin as she did so.
"Go on up to bed" Levi mumbled, helping her down from the counter. He kissed the top of her head before gently pushing her towards the door. Aurora looked back at Alaric, hoping he'd acknowledge her before she left but he didn't. He was still raging and couldn't bring himself to look at her face before she went off to bed. So she left the room silently, leaving the two with a lot to discuss.
Aurora made her way up to her room, dragging herself up the stairs. She finally entered her room, it being almost completely dark with only enough light for her to make out the outline of the objects on her room. Shutting the door behind her, she trudged to her bed. She took off her joggers and shoes incase there was any glass left on that too and taking her phone out of her pocket before hopping into bed and pulling the covers up to her chin. She wasn't even bothered to get into a set of pyjamas. She lay in bed quietly, knowing there was no way she was going to be able to sleep. She had experienced shit before, but nothing like that car chase and not in a long time. She was restless.
She took out her phone and opened it up. She clicked on contacts and hovered her thumb over his name on the screen, debating whether or not to call him until eventually she decided she would. The phone rang twice before he picked up.
"What took you so long, I thought something had happened?" Synns voice sighed on the other end of the phone. She had told him she'd call him later, and he waited, but later was beginning to feel like forever and he was beginning to worry. At the sound of his voice however, Aurora began to tear up again. She could feel all the emotions of the situation coming to the surface at once.
"Sunshine" She choked. Synns body tensed up and he was already standing up and grabbing his keys.
"I'll be there in ten minutes"